They manage to reverse the biological age in humans for the first time

The biological clock has been reversed with the drugs in the case of nine men / shutterstock

For the first time, a clinical study showed for the first time that the epigenetic clock, which measures the biological age of people, could be reversed. This opens up the hope of being able to control longevity, although the authors of the study, published by the prestigious scientific journal Nature, asked for caution, especially for the small number of participants in the trial, as well as because of the absence of a control group. However, the results were shocking.

In one year, nine healthy men between the ages of 51 and 65 took a series of common medications – a growth hormone and two antidiabetics – and, in the end, their respective biological age. They had rejuvenated two and a half years.

The researchers reached this figure after comparing the genomes of the subjects after the study was completed. One of them said they expected the clock to slow down, but they did not anticipate a time reversal.

The study aimed to test whether it was safe to use some growth hormone in humans to restore tissues within the thymus, located between the lungs and behind the sternum.

The publication explained that the white blood cells produced in the bone marrow then ripen in this gland and become "T" cells, which contribute to the fight against infections and diseases such as cancer. However, the gland reaches a critical point during puberty: from then on, it begins to contract and gradually, it is covered with fat.

Previous studies, some in humans, mainly in animals, have shown that growth hormones stimulate regeneration of the thymus.

In truth, Gregory Fahy, the scientist who led the study, tested this treatment himself in the 1990s and discovered a certain degree of regeneration.

Now the 9 white men aged 51 to 65 have been badessed. For a year, they took a badtail of three common drugs, growth hormone and two antidiabetic drugs, and on average lost 2.5 years less. in their biological age, measured by badyzing the marks on the genomes of a person. But also the immune system of the participants showed signs of rejuvenation.

Since these types of procedures could also increase the risk of diabetes, the new study added the use of two drugs that fight this disease.

To conclude the experiment, Fahy told Nature that all three drugs can participate independently to reverse the process of biological aging.

Now, because of the positive evidence from this study, an American society that is dedicated to examining the decline of the immune system resulting from natural aging is planning to conduct a larger study involving women, people of different ages and ethnicities.

It should be noted that the epigenetic clock is based on the epigenome of the body and includes chemical changes, such as methyl groups, which mark the DNA. The structure of these tags changes over the course of life and follows the biological age of a person, which can be delayed or exceed chronological age.

However, the scientists said the results were preliminary because the number of people who participated in the study was low and that one control group was not included, that is, ie the group to which the treatment was not applied with the objective. to check if the impact was really positive.